Black and Blond
by Amy Hirosaki
Summary: One-shot, CHILD LuccixPaulie. "Peace is a cheap joke." Lucci's shirt had been cheap too.


Black and Blond

Pairing: CHILD LuccixPaulie

Rating: PG

Summary: One-shot. "_Peace is a cheap joke_." Lucci's shirt had been cheap too.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece and characters.

Thanks: To my wonderful beta-er, _Susan_.

* * *

Since the beginning of time there were Adult-Only gatherings. These occasions included a lot of adults, and a lot of food. They included speeches about Politics, about the World, about the Future, and about Peace. Gatherings included a lot of people who agreed or disagreed with other people.

They also included little boys, who tried their best not to get caught while they hid beneath a table in a far corner. Little boys, who were very hungry, and decided to sneak in and try to steal something to eat. And also other little boys, who didn't listen to adults in the first place, and decided to sneak in just because they weren't allowed.

And sometimes, gatherings also included _two_ little boys, who bumped into each other in a place both weren't allowed.

_Caught_.

Two boys were each very shocked to find out that beneath that far table, _another_ boy was hiding. For a moment, the boy beneath black curls looked straight at the boy beneath blond unruly hair. Both radiated guilt.

_Caught. By another child._

Because little children really weren't allowed to be where the two boys were being right now, and both boys knew that the other knew this as well.

"I won't tell." Blond-hair whispered, at the same time making a useless attempt to wipe his runny nose to his dirty sleeve.

Black-hair stayed silent, but his posture told Blond-hair that he wasn't as cool and comfortable as he wanted to be. He was still all huddled up in the corner of the table, and he was looking guilty right now, even though he tried not to.

"'S stupid we're not allowed." Blond-hair spoke again, his brows furrowing. This was something Black-hair could agree with.

"They shouldn't have excluded children: we are their future." Black-hair said with a velvet voice and a sour look.

"They don't feed _this_ future." Blond-hair said, holding his hands to his empty belly.

"Adults are idiots." Black-hair stuck his nose in the air.

"Yeah.." Blond-hair nodded fervently, and suddenly put his hand, very petite and very dirty, on the very clean and very black shirt of Black-hair.

"Your name?" Blond-hair asked, obvious not caring that black should stay black instead of dirty brown.

Black-hair didn't answer immediately. Blond-hair thought about it: Was Black-hair nameless, just like he was? Did Black-Hair make up a name too somewhere in his short life, just like he did?

"I'm Justice." Black-hair finally said.

"Oh.." This was something Blond-hair understood: not telling their real name, so the other couldn't tell.

"Justice? Why aren't you called 'Peace'?" Blond-hair pointed at the black shirt with the Peace-logo on it.

"Because Peace is a cheap joke." Black-hair snorted. His shirt had been cheap too.

Blond-hair agreed with that thought, so he nodded.

"And your name?" Black-hair suddenly picked up the conversation again. He didn't put a hand on Blond-hair's shirt though.

Blond-hair thought about it for a moment.

"Freedom." Blond-hair said, and then presented Black-hair with the brightest smile, so beautiful and freely given, Black-hair immediately believed this was Blond-hair's true name.

"Say.." Black-hair whispered. Blond-hair looked up in expectation.

"Doesn't Justice precede Freedom?"

Blond-hair, with all his mighty 6 years, didn't know what Black-hair exactly meant, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Freedom keeps Justice in his heart. Without Justice, there isn't Freedom." Blond-hair said, and tried to point to his heart, but then Black-hair decided to kiss the younger kid, and Blond-hair's petite and dirty finger ended up a little bit too much to the right.

* * *

16 years later Lucci readied Shigan, but Paulie didn't smile, so Lucci's long and elegant finger ended up a little bit too much to the right.


End file.
